Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for controlling a display of a live-view video in an image pickup apparatus, such as a camera, and more particularly to a panning index display apparatus configured to display a guidance in the panning capture (follow shot).
Description of the Related Art
A follow shot is one image capturing method for capturing a moving object, such as an automobile, by panning an image pickup apparatus (referred to as a “camera” hereinafter) while following the object and by capturing the object at a shutter speed slower than a normal shutter speed. The follow shot provides a captured image (still image) that provides a sense of speed with the stationary main object and the flowing background. One conventionally proposed camera possesses a function that assists the user in panning in the follow shot. More specifically, this camera detects its panning velocity through a motion detecting unit, such as a gyro sensor, and obtains a moving velocity of the main object on a display screen based on a motion vector that is detected based on a video signal generated by image pickup. Then, this camera shifts a lens relative to a capturing optical axis so as to cancel the positional shift (image blur) of the main object on the display screen based on a difference between the panning velocity and the moving velocity, Thereby, even when the panning velocity made by the user fluctuates, this camera can provide a follow shot that restrains an image blur of the main object.
The main object to be captured by the follow shot includes not only an automobile that moves in a fixed direction, such as a horizontal direction, but also an airplane that moves up in the air at a variety of angles or in an unfixed direction. In capturing the main object through the follow shot, the panning velocity and the panning direction by the user fluctuate and the image of the main object is likely to blur.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. (“JP”) 2006-115322 discloses a camera that corrects a live-view video based on a difference between an actual panning direction and a preset reference panning direction so that the actual panning direction approaches to the reference panning direction, and displays the corrected live-view video.
However, the camera disclosed in JP 2006-115322 limits the panning direction for restraining a blur of the main object in the follow shot, to the reference panning direction.